Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Neale Hanvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what discussions (a) he and (b) Ministers in his Department have had with the Scottish Government (i) prior to and (b) since the UK Government's notice of termination of the covid-19 vaccine supply agreement with Valneva, on that matter.

George Freeman: Ministers regularly discuss COVID-19 vaccine matters with the Scottish Government and other devolved administrations. My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State for Health has discussed the termination of our supply agreement with Valneva with his counterpart in the Scottish Government and the UK Government will maintain dialogue with the Scottish Government on this matter.

Valneva: Coronavirus

Neale Hanvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to ensure diversity of (a) suppliers and (b) technology within vaccine provision in the context of the notice of termination of the covid-19 vaccine supply agreement with Valneva.

Neale Hanvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will list those companies manufacturing vaccines or developing vaccines in the UK which use (a) messenger RNA and (b) inactivated virus.

George Freeman: The Government’s approach to seeking a vaccine for COVID-19 has, from the outset, been to secure access to a portfolio of candidate vaccines from a range of developers. This has resulted in four regulated COVID-19 vaccines within the portfolio to date providing both diversity of supply and diversity of vaccine type. The Government has secured early access to 332 million COVID-19 vaccines doses through supply agreements with five separate vaccine developers. This includes agreements with: Pfizer/BioNTech for 135 million doses of its mRNA vaccine;University of Oxford/AstraZeneca for 100 million doses of its adenovirus vaccine;Moderna for 17 million doses of its mRNA vaccine;Novavax for 60 million doses of its protein adjuvant vaccine; andJanssen for 20 million doses of its adenovirus vaccine.Of these COVID-19 vaccines, the AstraZeneca vaccine is manufactured in the UK and Novavax has a UK supply chain subject to regulatory approval. Vaccine manufacture is a global business, and the response to COVID-19 a global effort, and we are proud of AstraZeneca’s contribution to that from the UK.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Neale Hanvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what assessment he has made of the impact of the UK Government's notice of termination of the covid-19 vaccine supply agreement with Valneva on his Department’s ability to meet vaccine supply requirements.

Neale Hanvey: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what contingency measures the Government has put in place to ensure adequacy of covid-19 vaccine supply in response to the Government's notice of termination of the covid-19 vaccine supply agreement with Valneva.

George Freeman: Our vaccination programme is continuing to make phenomenal progress, with four out of every five adults now fully vaccinated against COVID-19. I cannot comment on commercial decisions, the termination of our supply agreement with Valneva will have no impact on our vaccine supplies for autumn. The UK has contracted for a portfolio of vaccines from a number of developers, and we have sufficient contracted supply for the expected booster campaign as well as to complete the first round of vaccinations.

National Grid: Fires

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, whether his Department plans to undertake an investigation into the fire at the National Grid facility in Sellindge, Kent; and if he will make a statement.

Greg Hands: The formal investigation into the fire at the Interconnexion France-Angleterre (IFA) interconnector is being led by National Grid Ventures, in their role as joint owner of the facility.The Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy is working closely with National Grid Ventures to support the investigation.

Ofgem

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, if he will publish details of the (a) meetings that Ministers in his Department have held with representatives of Ofgem in the last 12 months and (b) primary matter that was discussed at each of those meetings.

Greg Hands: My Rt. Hon. Friend the Secretary of State and I have regular meetings with Ofgem senior management.

Fuel Poverty

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what estimate he has made of the number of households in fuel poverty; and what forecast he has made of the number of households in fuel poverty in 2022-23.

Greg Hands: The proportion of households classified as living in fuel poverty has fallen from 22.1% in 2010, to 15% in 2018, driven by improvements in the energy performance of homes. There are now 1.3 million fewer low-income households living in the least energy efficient homes (Band E, F or G) compared to 2010.

Iron and Steel: Foreign Investment in UK

Gill Furniss: To ask the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, what steps he is taking to encourage inward investment into the UK’s steel sector to aid the transition to net zero carbon emissions.

Lee Rowley: The Government recognises the importance of the UK steel sector as a foundation industry and the role it plays in the supply chain for other important advanced manufacturing sectors in the UK, as well as for direct and indirect jobs across the country. Decarbonising the sector is a core part of the Government’s plans to meet its stated carbon emission reduction targets, for supporting local economic growth and for our levelling up agenda. The Steel Council was reconstituted in March 2021. This forum offers the Government and industry the opportunity to work towards creating an achievable, long-term plan to support the sector’s transition to a competitive, sustainable, and low carbon future. The Government has announced a £250 million Clean Steel Fund to support the UK’s steel sector to transition to lower carbon iron and steel production, through new technologies and processes, placing the sector on a pathway consistent with the UK Climate Change Act. Our expectation is that the Fund will provide a proportion of the investment for projects, with the rest funded by industry.

Attorney General

British American Tobacco: Corruption

Bob Blackman: To ask the Attorney General, with reference to the BBC Panorama programme of 12 September 2021, whether the Serious Fraud Office plans to review its assessment of the compliance of British American Tobacco with the Bribery Act 2010 in response to the findings of the Panorama programme.

Alex Chalk: Following a three-year investigation into British American Tobacco, in January 2021 the SFO determined that this case did not meet the evidential tests as defined in the Code for Crown Prosecutors. As with all cases that fail this first limb of the Code, it was therefore not in the public interest to continue with the investigation.The SFO is aware of the allegations made in the BBC’s Panorama programme of 12 September 2021 and will review and assess any material which is provided to it.

British American Tobacco: Fraud

Bob Blackman: To ask the Attorney General, what plans she has to refer the allegations made in the BBC’s Panorama programme of 12 September 2021 regarding British American Tobacco to the Serious Fraud Office.

Alex Chalk: The SFO is aware of the allegations made in the BBC’s Panorama programme of 12 September 2021. Following a three-year investigation into the British American Tobacco, in January 2021 the SFO determined that this case did not meet the evidential tests as defined in the Code for Crown Prosecutors. As with all cases that fail this first limb of the Code, it was therefore not in the public interest to continue with the investigation. The SFO continues to assist its international law enforcement partners with ongoing investigations related to this matter and will assess any new material it receives. The SFO does not comment on the actions it takes to assess allegations.

Department of Health and Social Care

Cervical Cancer: Screening

Charlotte Nichols: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to ensure that trans men and non-binary people with a cervix are invited for routine cervical screening.

Maria Caulfield: All individuals are invited for cervical screening based on their registered gender in their general practitioner (GP) records. Only those who are registered as female will be invited for cervical screening according to the normal intervals. As such, if a transgender man or non-binary person is registered with their GP as male, they will not receive these invitations.However, GPs can, if requested, update records to ensure individuals are invited for the screening to which they are entitled. We encourage all trans men and non-binary people to contact their GP to ensure that they are invited for the right screening appointments.

Cancer: Coronavirus

Lee Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to support people who have missed cancer appointments as a result of the covid-19 outbreak.

Maria Caulfield: The National Health Service is focusing on reducing the number of people waiting over 62 days on cancer pathways, particularly rescheduling diagnostic procedures or treatments for those whose care was delayed by the pandemic. An additional £1 billion has been made available to the NHS in 2021/22 to support the recovery of elective activity and cancer services.The NHS is supporting adults experiencing cancer with access to Improving Access to Psychological Therapies (IAPT) mental health services, which provide evidence-based therapies for people with anxiety disorders and depression. The implementation of IAPT-Long Term Condition pathways has been identified as a priority to support integration of mental health and physical health services for people with co-morbid long-term conditions, such as cancer.

Blood: Donors

Florence Eshalomi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has plans to update blood donation criteria to remove the three month restriction on donating blood for anyone whose partner has had sex with someone from parts of the world where HIV is very common.

Florence Eshalomi: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what the evidential basis is for his decision not remove the three month restriction on donating blood for anyone in England whose partner has had sex with someone from parts of the world where HIV is very common; and if he will publish that this scientific advice.

Maria Caulfield: The Department has considered the evidence presented by the For the Assessment of Individual Risk steering group on the removal of the question that asks potential blood donors about whether they have recently had sex with a partner who may ever have had sex in an area where HIV is endemic. Retaining this deferral ensures we maintain a robust and careful approach to blood donation that protects both donors and those receiving this potentially life-saving intervention. The safeguards in place to ensure the safety of those donating and those receiving blood and blood products remain under regular review.

Radiotherapy

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what plans he has to reduce the number of visits needed to complete a full course of radiotherapy treatment.

Maria Caulfield: Stereotactic ablative radiotherapy (SABR), which can be delivered over fewer treatments than standard radiotherapy, is now available as a treatment for lung cancer patients in every radiotherapy provider. Over 3,600 patients benefited from this treatment in 2020-21 and work is ongoing to complete the SABR expansion programme.

Hospitals: Staff

Daniel Kawczynski: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the effect of delays in the Hospitals Transformation Programme on (a) recruitment and (b) the filling of rosters in the local hospitals.

Edward Argar: We have not made a specific assessment. Staffing and recruitment is affected by many factors at a local level and although delays to planned build programmes and the condition of the estate may contribute, data has not been collected at national level.

Long Covid: Health Services

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent assessment he has made of the potential merits of increasing healthcare support for people with long covid.

Maria Caulfield: COVID-19 is a new disease and we continue to increase our understanding of the physical, psychological and rehabilitation needs for those experiencing long-term effects of the virus. On 15 June, NHS England and NHS Improvement published a new 10-point plan and announced an additional £100 million expansion of care for patients, taking the total investment in ‘long’ COVID-19 support in England to £134 million. This includes £70 million to facilitate the expansion of Post-Covid Assessment Clinics and £30 million for an enhanced service for general practice.Fourteen paediatric hubs have been established in England to provide advice and help coordinate care for children and young people up to the age of 18 years old. Also, the ‘Your COVID Recovery’ online service, provides a digital, interactive, personalised recovery programme for people recovering from COVID-19.

Cancer: Health Services

Dr Julian Lewis: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what progress he has made in tackling the backlog of cancer cases resulting from covid-19 outbreak; what steps he has taken to cover the shortage of specialist cancer nurses; what steps he will take to encourage trainee nurses to become specialist cancer nurses; and if he will make a statement.

Maria Caulfield: Data for July 2021 shows fewer than 19,000 people waiting longer than 62 days for treatment following an urgent referral for suspected cancer in England. This is a decrease from 35,000 in May 2020 and is just above pre-pandemic levels.In 2021/22 Health Education England will continue to take forward the priorities outlined in the Cancer Workforce Plan. Training grants are being offered for 250 nurses to become cancer nurse specialists and 100 nurses to become chemotherapy nurses.

Travel: Coronavirus

Lloyd Russell-Moyle: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether a person who receives the first dose of the Pfizer covid-19 vaccine in England and the second dose in the United States will be regarded as fully vaccinated for the purpose of entry requirements in the UK.

Maggie Throup: The Health Protection (Coronavirus, International Travel and Operator Liability) (England) Regulations 2021 states a traveller who has received one vaccine in England and another in the United States of America will not be regarded as fully vaccinated for the purpose of entry into the United Kingdom having passed through or transited through an amber country in the last 10 days.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Sarah Owen: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of the JVCI recommendation to vaccinate 12 to 15 year olds against covid-19; and if he will make a statement.

Maggie Throup: In their advice of 3 September, the Joint Committee on Vaccination and Immunisation (JCVI) suggested that the Government may wish to seek further views on the wider societal and educational impacts of universal vaccination of 12 to 15 year olds from the United Kingdom Chief Medical Officers (CMOs), with representation from the JCVI in these subsequent discussions. Consequently, the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, and the UK health ministers wrote to the CMOs to ask that they consider the vaccination of 12 to 15 year olds from a broader perspective, as suggested by the JCVI.The UK CMOs have recommended the extension of the offer of a first dose of the Pfizer-BioNTech COVID-19 vaccine to all children and young people aged 12 to 15 years old on public health grounds. The Government has accepted this advice.

Travel: Coronavirus

Navendu Mishra: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what support his Department is providing to people who have received the Novavax vaccine with international travel.

Maggie Throup: Individuals who took part in clinical trials and received a full dose of the Novavax vaccine can now use the NHS COVID Pass to demonstrate their COVID-19 status. However, it is the decision of the Government of the country the person is travelling to to set their inbound travel policy. The Chief Medical Officer has written to his counterparts in the European Union and European Economic Community and discussions are ongoing with other countries, including through the G7, the European Commission and the World Health Organization to shape the approach taken around the world to sharing health status for travel.The Vaccines Taskforce and the Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) are working with Novavax to help ensure their COVID-19 vaccine is authorised as quickly as possible. The decision to license a vaccine is made by the MHRA.

Coronavirus

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what recent estimate he has made of the number of (a) hospital and (b) ITU admissions for patients with covid-19; and what assessment he has made of the prevalence of covid-19 in the community based on those figures.

Maggie Throup: Daily and cumulative numbers of COVID-19 patients admitted to hospital are available at the following link:https://coronavirus.data.gov.uk/details/healthcarePublic Health England (PHE) also publishes hospitalisations data, including intensive care admissions at the following link:https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/national-flu-and-covid-19-surveillance-reports-2021-to-2022-seasonThe analysis is based on data from a sentinel network of acute National Health Service trusts contributing enhanced data. PHE has not made an assessment of prevalence of COVID-19 in the community based on this data.

NHS Test and Trace

John Redwood: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what is the projected spend on Test and Trace is for 2021-22; and how that figure compares with 2020-21.

Maggie Throup: NHS Test and Trace has been allocated £15 billion in 2021-22 compared to £22 billion in 2020-21 and expects to deliver within the current agreed funding. A final audited figure for spending in 2020-21 is not yet available.

Travel: Coronavirus

Paula Barker: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment his Department has made of the potential merits of reducing or eradicating travel covid-19 test costs to support the travel industry; and what assessment he has made of the current effectiveness of those tests.

Maggie Throup: We have recently invited the Competition and Market Authority to conduct a review into pricing and standards in the market for international travel tests. The cost of NHS Test and Trace tests for international arrivals has been reduced from £88 to £68 for fully vaccinated travellers from ‘green’ or ‘amber’ list countries and from £170 to £136 for two tests for those who are not fully vaccinated arriving from ‘amber’ list countries. By the end of October, fully vaccinated passengers travelling from non ‘red’ list countries will also be able to replace their day two test with a cheaper lateral flow test, reducing the cost of tests on arrival into England.All polymerase chain reaction currently used by private providers have been independently assessed as effective. Private providers of COVID-19 tests are assessed individually and in order to become accredited, a provider must demonstrate that their test device has been independently verified to meet the required clinical performance standards. This evidence is scrutinised as part of their initial application and further verified in the laboratory before accreditation is granted to that provider.

Genito-urinary Medicine: Surveys

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, whether his Department has plans to undertake public surveys on reproductive health in the future.

Maggie Throup: Public Health England commissioned the London School of Hygiene and Tropical Medicine to conduct a national Women’s Reproductive Health Experiences Survey. The survey responses will feed into the development of the Sexual and Reproductive Health Strategy, which will be published later this year. The final survey will then be used nationally to understand more about women’s reproductive health experiences over time. The survey tool will be made available for use by partners across the system to analyse local reproductive health needs and preferences in their area.

Genito-urinary Medicine

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps his Department is taking to help ensure that the needs of (a) all populations and (b) people from low income backgrounds are supported in the development of the sexual and reproductive healthcare strategy.

Maggie Throup: The Department is currently developing a Sexual and Reproductive Health Strategy, which is planned for publication later this year. The Strategy seeks to ensure that the sexual and reproductive health needs of all population groups are met, including people from low income backgrounds. We are engaging with a wide range of stakeholders to ensure these populations are represented in the development process.The new Office for Health Improvement and Disparities will continue to monitor and publish data relating to inequalities in access to contraception and other sexual and reproductive health services, including how key indicators vary by Index of Multiple Deprivation. Public Health England has also recently published the Variation in Outcomes Toolkit that supports local and regional partners to address inequalities in sexual and reproductive health services.

Contraceptives

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, ahead of World Contraception Day on 26 September 2021, what steps his Department is taking to ensure that contraceptive consultations are patient-centred, with users feeling able to openly discuss their preferences and participate in decision-making effectively.

Maggie Throup: Contraception services will be a focus of the Sexual and Reproductive Health Strategy planned for publication later this year. The Faculty of Sexual and Reproductive Healthcare is responsible for providing clinical guidance for contraception services. The Faculty’s Service Standards for Consultations highlight that sexual and reproductive health consultations should provide safe, efficient and effective healthcare that is patient-centred and equitable.

G4S: Quarantine

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what assessment he has made of reports of inappropriate behaviour from G4S staff assigned to UK quarantine hotels housing refugees from Afghanistan.

Maggie Throup: We have a dedicated complaints team which received one such complaint which did not involve security staff. However, we regularly meet with security companies to ensure all staff adhere to the highest professional standards. It is a requirement that our contracted security staff have passed the Security Industry Accreditation process. If staff fall below these standards, we demand an immediate investigation by the company, including police involvement where necessary, resulting in the suspension and/or dismissal of individuals where appropriate.

Members: Correspondence

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, for what reason CTM has yet to respond substantively to the case referred to them in May 2021 by the hon. Member for Leeds Central on behalf of his constituent, Mr Q.

Maggie Throup: CTM has advised the Department that they have no record of the Rt hon. Member’s correspondence. However, following the Rt hon. Member’s letter of 28 April to the Department, CTM aim to ensure that the booking system as simple and accessible as possible particularly during times of high demand.While accommodating very large family groups can be challenging hotels will prioritise allocating larger or connected rooms to families.

Coronavirus: Vaccination

Helen Hayes: To ask the Secretary of State for Health and Social Care, what steps he is taking to help ensure that people vaccinated against covid-19 outside of the UK are able to (a) register their vaccination status with the NHS and (b) access a domestic Covid Pass through the NHS App.

Maggie Throup: Currently only people fully vaccinated under the United Kingdom’s vaccination programme can be certified through the NHS COVID Pass. Work is underway to determine which non-Medicines and Healthcare products Regulatory Agency approved vaccines we could recognise with confidence to enable UK residents vaccinated abroad to demonstrate their vaccination status. A pilot will be launched in England from the end of September.

Department for Education

Children: Disadvantaged

Ben Bradley: To ask the Secretary of State for Education, what steps his Department has taken to tackle educational inequalities for disadvantaged white boys, following the report of the Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparity published in April 2021 and the Education Select Committee Report entitled The forgotten: how White working-class pupils have been let down, and how to change it, published in June 2021.

Mr Robin Walker: The Commission on Race and Ethnic Disparities was launched to conduct a detailed, data-led examination of inequality across the entire population, and to set out a positive agenda for change. We thank Dr Tony Sewell and each of the commissioners for generously giving their time to lead this important piece of work. It is now right that the government considers their recommendations in detail and assesses the implications for future government policy. The government remains fully committed to building a fairer Britain and taking the action needed to address disparities wherever they exist.We also thank the Education Select Committee for its report and have been considering its findings and recommendations carefully. We will publish the government’s response to the report in due course.The government is committed to levelling up across the UK and is funding particularly disadvantaged areas through the National Funding Formula, Pupil Premium and our Schools Capital programmes.

Ministry of Justice

Ministry of Justice: Flags

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, which companies have supplied Union Jack flags to his Department since 2019.

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Justice, how many and what proportion of the Union Jack flags purchased by his Department in each of the last two years were manufactured in the UK.

James Cartlidge: We have purchased two Union flags for our headquarters building since 2019. These have been provided by our Facilities Management provider (Amey) and were both manufactured in the United Kingdom Information for our HM Prison and Probation and HM Courts and Tribunals Service properties can only be provided at disproportionate cost.

Treasury

Consumers: Protection

Martyn Day: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the adequacy of the description of the legal meaning of a duty of care set out in the FCA consultation proposing a new consumer duty, published on 14 May 2021.

Martyn Day: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what assessment he has made of the potential effectiveness of the consumer duty proposed by the Financial Conduct Authority in their 14 May 2021 consultation on meeting the objective of consumers being owed a duty of care by authorised persons as required by section 29 of the Financial Services Act 2021.

John Glen: The Government is committed to ensuring financial services consumers are appropriately protected. In accordance with the requirements set out in the Financial Services Act 2021, the Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) published a consultation on 14 May 2021 proposing a new ‘Consumer Duty’. The Consumer Duty seeks to clarify and raise expectations for the standard of care that should be provided by financial services firms to consumers. This aims to ensure consumers benefit from a higher level of care from financial services firms. As set out in paragraph 2.31 of the FCA’s consultation paper, the consultation’s proposals have been specifically designed to meet the requirements of the Financial Services Act 2021. The FCA, as an operationally independent regulator, is responsible for carrying out the consultation and for making any new rules which it considers appropriate following the consultation. It would therefore be inappropriate for the Government to comment further on the specifics of the consultation’s proposals.

Mortgages: Interest Rates

Emma Hardy: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, what support he plans to provide to people who are trapped on high standard variable rates.

John Glen: Following the Financial Conduct Authority's (FCA) Mortgage Market Study, an industry voluntary agreement was enacted to help borrowers on reversion rates who are up to date with payments but don't meet the affordability criteria required to switch to a new deal. This means that participating lenders will offer eligible borrowers the ability to switch to an alternative product. The Government has also undertaken significant work to understand the circumstances of borrowers whose mortgages are held by inactive firms (which are not able to offer alternative products) and don’t meet the affordability requirements or risk appetite to switch to a new lender. The Government has worked with the FCA to create additional options for these borrowers, including through the introduction of a Modified Affordability Assessment which allows mortgage lenders to waive the normal affordability checks for borrowers with inactive firms who meet certain criteria, such as not wishing to borrow more. The FCA is reviewing its data to provide further detail on the characteristics of borrowers who have mortgages with inactive firms and are unable to switch, despite being up to date with payments. The FCA is also reviewing the effect of its interventions to remove regulatory barriers to switching and will report on this by the end of November. The Treasury will use the results of this review to establish whether there are any further practical and proportionate solutions that can be found for affected borrowers.

Wholesale Trade: Alcoholic Drinks

Kirsten Oswald: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many and what proportion of applications  under the Alcohol Warehouse Registration Scheme since that scheme's introduction have been (a) approved and (b) revoked in (i) Scotland and (ii) the UK.

Helen Whately: This information is not held in the form requested as HM Revenue and Customs does not record Alcohol Warehouse Registration Scheme (AWRS) data by ‘nation’. AWRS Data showing the number of applications received and numbers approved up to April 2019 was published on 10th June 2021 and is available at: https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/tackling-alcohol-smuggling-outputs/tackling-alcohol-smuggling-outputs-april-2016-to-april-2019. Data up to April 2021 will be published in the normal way in October 2021. Please note the numbers for approved and revoked applications do not total the number of applications received. The reason for this is because withdrawals, deregistrations and stock on hand have not been included. For Scotland:Applications received 1343Applications approved 980 (73%)Applications revoked 24 (2%) For the UK:Applications received 15410Applications approved 10880 (71%)Applications revoked 546 (4%)

Beer: Excise Duties

Kirsten Oswald: To ask the Chancellor of the Exchequer, how many and what proportion of responses received to the technical consultation on Small Brewers Relief were from (a) breweries producing less than 5,000 hectolitres a year, (b) breweries producing more than 5,000 hectolitres a year and (c) breweries producing more than 60,000 hectolitres a year.

Helen Whately: We will publish our response to the technical consultation in due course. This will contain information on those who responded to the consultation.

Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Office

Lithuania: Conference Centres

Dr Matthew Offord: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, if she will make representations to her Lithuanian counterpart on the proposed construction of the Vilnius National Convention and Conference Centre on Shnipishok cemetery land.

Wendy Morton: The UK Government understands that the Lithuanian government has indefinitely postponed the renovation of the Soviet-era Vilnius Palace of Concerts and Sports, located in the Šnipiškės Jewish cemetery. We are pleased to note the current and previous Lithuanian governments' efforts to work alongside the Jewish Community of Lithuania and the international Jewish community on the issue of this renovation.

Iraq: Turkey

John McDonnell: To ask the Secretary of State for Foreign, Commonwealth and Development Affairs, what assessment he has made of the implications for his policies of recent reports that the Turkish army attacked a village with chemical weapons in the Duhok region of Northern Iraq on 4 September 2021.

James Cleverly: We have not made an assessment of this report. We take seriously all allegations of the use of chemical weapons - it is important that the full facts are established. We continue to reiterate the importance of dialogue and cooperation between Iraq and Turkey to combat terrorism, ensure regional security, and protect civilians. We welcome discussions between Iraqi and Turkish Defence Ministers regarding Ankara's military operations against the Kurdistan Workers' Party (PKK), a proscribed terrorist group, in the Kurdistan Region of Iraq. The Foreign Secretary discussed the stability of Iraq and the KRI with the Kurdistan Region of Iraq's President, Nechirvan Barzani, during his visit to London of 15-17 September.

Ministry of Defence

HMS Queen Elizabeth: South China Sea

Janet Daby: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, for what reason HMS Queen Elizabeth has been deployed to waters off South Korea; and what assessment he has made of the potential response from North Korea to that deployment.

James Heappey: The Integrated Review commits us to pursuing deeper engagement in the Indo-Pacific in support of shared prosperity and regional stability. The Carrier Strike Group deployment is an embodiment of this commitment and therefore included a programme of activity to strengthen our bilateral defence relationships with key partners in the region, including South Korea. Our presence in the region sends a clear message to all of the UK's ability to protect its interests globally.

Afghanistan: Refugees

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what resources he is making available to support Operation Warm Welcome.

Leo Docherty: The Government is committed to ensuring that those Afghan nationals who were relocated under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy and during the recent evacuation are well supported as they start their new lives in the UK. Defence is supporting Op WARM WELCOME through the provision of assistance to other Government Departments via the Military Assistance to the Civil Authorities (MACA) process and by building on existing networks to develop a network of service related expertise and experience to support those Afghans with a connection to Defence.

Afghanistan: Refugees

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what support the armed forces can provide to refugees in quarantine hotels arriving under the Afghan Relocations and Assistance Policy.

Leo Docherty: In accordance with the government's COVID-19 border health measures, individuals arriving in the UK from Afghanistan are required to undergo a period of quarantine in designated hotels. During the evacuation of British nationals and Afghan allies from Kabul (Op PITTING), Defence provided logistics support in Managed Quarantine Service (MQS) hotels in Manchester. All persons extracted from Kabul under Op PITTING have now finished their mandatory period of quarantine.

Afghanistan: Asylum

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, if he will (a) identify and (b) repurpose and make adequate all accommodation on his Department's estate that could be used for the resettlement of Afghan refugees.

Leo Docherty: The relocation of Afghan refugees is a significant undertaking. Whilst the provision of accommodation is clearly a crucial part of the resettlement programme, of equal importance is ensuring that Local Authorities have the capacity to provide the right level of access to health and education provision to ensure the integration of Afghan evacuees. The Ministry of Defence continues to work closely with the Ministry of Housing, Communities, and Local Government, and the Home Office on a cross-Government effort to identify where we can best support this endeavour. This includes the provision of additional Defence accommodation where appropriate to do so.

Defence: Procurement

Stuart Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for Defence, what steps his Department is taking to safeguard defence supply chains from foreign threats.

Jeremy Quin: The Integrated Review committed Her Majesty's Government to acting to address growing risks around economic security. The Defence & Security Industrial Strategy identified the MOD component to tackling these risks including assessing and monitoring threats to defence supply chains, including foreign threats. The MOD’s Defence Commercial monitor the resilience of key UK defence suppliers, and industry wide supply chain issues and risks and have established a new Directorate of Economic and Investment Security to support the new National Security Investment (NSI) Act and which will lead in the MOD on reviewing foreign investment into UK companies

Department for Work and Pensions

Workplace Pensions

Owen Thompson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate his Department has made of the proportion of people who are automatically enrolled that are likely to reach a moderate lifestyle in retirement as defined by the PLSA’s Retirement Living Standards.

Guy Opperman: This Government is focussed on its goal of expanding the benefits of automatic enrolment in the mid-2020s, increasing the overall amounts being saved by working people, and extending the benefits of workplace pensions to younger workers. I welcome the PLSA standards as a contribution to the debate.

Universal Credit

Owen Thompson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what assessment she has made of the impact of the 3.2 per cent rise in inflation on the financial wellbeing of recipients of universal credit.

Owen Thompson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, whether she plans to review the planned removal of the uplift to universal credit in response to the increase in inflation to 3.2 per cent.

David Rutley: The Chancellor announced a temporary six-month extension to Universal Credit uplift at the Budget on 3 March to support households affected by the economic shock of Covid-19. Universal Credit has provided a vital safety net for six million people during the pandemic, and the temporary uplift was part of a COVID support package worth a total of £407 billion in 2020-21 and 2021-22.Separately to the Universal Credit Uplift, the Secretary of State completes an annual review of most benefit rates for people below State Pension age to determine whether they have retained their value in relation to the general level of prices. Where prices have increased relative to the value of those benefits, the Secretary of State will increase certain disability and carers’ benefits – such as Personal Independence Payments and Carer’s Allowance – at least in line with that increase. She may also decide to increase other benefits, such as the Universal Credit Standard Allowance. That decision is discretionary, but it is conventional that these rates are also increased in line with the increase in prices as measured by the Consumer Price Index. The up-rating review is conducted in the Autumn of each year, with the outcome announced in November and the new rates implemented the following April.

Universal Credit: Leeds Central

Hilary Benn: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what estimate she has made of the number of people in Leeds Central who will be affected by the proposed cut of the universal credit uplift.

David Rutley: It is not possible to produce a robust estimate of exactly how many people will be affected by the removal of the £20 uplift during October due to uncertainty around the speed of the economic recovery and the resulting effect on the caseload. The Chancellor announced a temporary six-month extension to the £20 per week uplift at the Budget on 3 March to support households affected by the economic shock of Covid-19. Universal Credit has provided a vital safety net for six million people during the pandemic, and the temporary uplift was part of a COVID support package worth a total of £407 billion in 2020-21 and 2021-22. There have been significant positive developments in the public health situation since the uplift was first introduced. With the success of the vaccine rollout and record job vacancies, it is right that our focus is on helping people back into work. This approach is based on clear evidence about the importance of employment, particularly where it is full-time, in substantially reducing the risks of poverty. Through our Plan for Jobs, we are targeting tailored support schemes of people of all ages to help them prepare for, get into and progress in work. These include: Kickstart, delivering tens of thousands of six-month work placements for Universal Credit claimants aged 16-24 at risk of unemployment; Restart, which provides 12 months’ intensive employment support to Universal Credit claimants who are unemployed for a year; and JETS, which provides light touch employment support for people who are claiming either Universal Credit or New Style Jobseekers Allowance, for up to 6 months, helping participants effectively re-engage with the labour market and focus their job search. We have also recruited an additional 13,500 work coaches to provide more intensive support to find a job. In total, our Plan for Jobs interventions will support more than two million people.

Universal Credit: Digital Technology

Hywel Williams: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what recent assessment she has made of levels compliance of digital universal credit systems with operation requirements set out in social security regulations.

David Rutley: The Department, like other government departments, is obliged to comply with legal, security and regulatory requirements, including published minimum government security standards. This is regularly reviewed for Universal Credit, and the system complies with all relevant standards.

Universal Credit

Mr Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the total amount of money being recovered by her Department through universal credit claims is as at 15 September 2021; and what the comparable figures are for the last three years.

Mr Nicholas Brown: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, what the average amount being recovered in a monthly repayment through universal credit is; and what proportion of those monies are owed as a result of (a) universal credit debts and (b) universal credit advance loans.

David Rutley: Deductions from Universal Credit awards are requested by creditors who ensure they have followed regulations. Universal Credit informs the claimant of all deduction requests. Universal Credit deduction regulations protect claimants from excessive deductions, which could lead to financial difficulty. There is a 25% cap on deductions to ensure that priority debts and other debts are repaid, whilst supporting claimants with significant debts to retain more of their monthly award for their day-to-day needs. The cap was reduced in April 2021 from 30% to 25% to help support claimants to manage financial difficulties. Advances are designed to ensure that the most vulnerable claimants receive the money they need to live on during their transition to Universal Credit. Claimants now have the option to spread twenty-five Universal Credit payments over twenty-four months, giving them more flexibility over the payments of their Universal Credit award. This will also allow claimants to retain more of their award, giving additional financial security Customers can contact the Department if they are experiencing financial hardship to discuss a reduction in their rate of repayment, depending on their financial circumstances, whilst work coaches can also signpost claimants to other financial support. The information requested is provided in the attached spreadsheet.Spreadsheet 1 (xlsx, 11.5KB)

Universal Credit

Dame Diana Johnson: To ask the Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, pursuant to the Answer of 16 September 2021 to Question 48169, what percentage of universal credit claimants who are in work make the National Living Wage.

David Rutley: The requested information is not held as the level of detail to determine the percentage of Universal Credit claimants in work and on the National Living Wage is not available.

Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs

River Tame: Flood Control

Liam Byrne: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what his timeframe is for (a) completing flood defence work on the river Tame in Hodge Hill constituency and (b) restoring play facilities located there.

Rebecca Pow: The Environment Agency (EA) has been working hard to improve flood defences at Bromford and Castle Vale, which will see more than 1,500 homes better protected from the risk of flooding. The scheme is expected to be completed by winter 2022/23. The EA hopes the embankment area which is of particular concern to residents and Birmingham City Council will open in winter 2021/22. This is pending Section 278 approval from Birmingham City Council required before the EA can complete flood embankment works. The EA has committed more funding to complete the scheme and deal with the various challenges the project has faced. The contractor’s senior management has also provided commitments to improve delivery confidence. They are both fully committed to completing this scheme at the earliest opportunity. While work has been happening, some areas have had to close for the safety of the workforce and community, such as the play area in Bromford. The EA ensured the Multi Use Games Area and Skatepark adjacent to the under 12’s play area re-opened at the start of the summer holidays and has provided safety barriers to enable the community to run pop-up play sessions for younger children towards the end of the holidays. Birmingham City Council is responsible for progressing and re-opening the play area and I cannot comment on its timescales.

Bivalve Molluscs

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the potential impact of shortages of water treatment chemicals and sewage treatment on water classification in areas used for the production of bivalve molluscs.

Rebecca Pow: England has an adequate supply of water chemicals, there is no shortage. The situation with hauliers may lead to a requirement for a temporary reduction in chemical dosing at some wastewater treatment sites. The Regulatory Position Statement (RPS) was issued by the Environment Agency (EA) to facilitate a reduction in dosing requirements as a last resort. The RPS does not allow changes to discharges to shellfish waters and therefore will not impact the classification of shellfish harvesting areas used for the production of Bivalve Molluscs.

Roads: Freight

Tim Farron: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, how many meetings (a) he and (b) Ministers in his Department have had with the haulage industry since the start of 2021.

Victoria Prentis: My Rt Hon Friend the Environment Secretary and I meet regularly with representatives of the food industry to discuss a wide range of issues, and we continue to work across Government, including with the Department for Transport, to find solutions to any issues. Officials in our Department also meet regularly with trade association and the haulier industry directly.

Fishing Vessels

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what assessment he has made of the feasibility of reducing vessel monitoring system polling frequency of all non-UK registered fishing vessels 12 metres and above to 10-minute intervals.

Victoria Prentis: As an independent coastal state, the UK has full responsibility over how it ensures compliance in its fisheries. It is for each Devolved Administration to decide how best to control its waters. Defra and the Marine Management Organisation continue to work closely with the Devolved Administrations to ensure a coordinated approach to fisheries control and enforcement. It is a legal requirement for all licensed fishing vessels over 12m in length operating within UK waters to be fitted with a Vessel Monitoring System (VMS) device which reports their position at least once every two hours. In line with the conditions set out in the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, the UK will notify the EU Commission of any new VMS requirements that apply to EU vessels in UK waters, should any be brought forward. It will be the responsibility of those vessels to ensure they have a functioning VMS device on board that meets the requirements.

Fisheries: Wales

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, whether he has conducted an impact assessment of the potential effect of introducing quotas on present non-quota species in Welsh waters in the period to 2024.

Victoria Prentis: Assessment of the impacts of any potential fisheries management measures in Welsh waters is the responsibility of the Welsh Government, as UK fisheries management is devolved. UK Fisheries Administrations are working closely together on the development of future plans, including for non-quota fisheries, to ensure we secure sustainability of our stocks, the environment and a thriving industry.

Fisheries: Wales

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs, what discussions he has had with the Welsh Government on the introduction of quotas on present non-quota fish species.

Victoria Prentis: Discussions with UK Fisheries Administrations, including the Welsh Government, on non-quota fisheries management have focused on implementing the provisions of the UK-EU Trade and Cooperation Agreement in relation to applying a tonnage limit to fishing of non-quota species in UK and EU waters. Longer term management of non-quota species will be reflected in Fisheries Management Plans and in discussions on shared stocks with the EU. Whilst it is for the Welsh Government to develop and implement measures in Welsh waters, all UK Fisheries Administrations are part of a Fisheries Management Plan Working Group to collaborate on the development of future plans.

Home Office

Asylum: Detainees

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department,  how many people were housed in (a) Brook House Immigration Removal Centre and (b) Tinsley House Immigration Removal Centre at the start of each of the last six months; and what proportion of maximum capacity that represents.

Tom Pursglove: The immigration removal estate is kept under ongoing review to ensure that the Home Office has sufficient capacity, in the right places and that it provides value for money.The Home Office will maintain sufficient capacity to support the removal of the men and women it proves necessary to detain for the purposes of removal. In order to meet operational needs and demands, we will continue to operate the immigration removal estate in a flexible manner.The Home Office publishes statistics on people in detention on the last day of each quarter in the ‘Immigration Statistics Quarterly Release’. Data on people in detention under immigration powers are published in table Det_D02 of the Detention detailed datasets. The data can be broken down by place of detention. The latest data release relates to the number of people in detention at the end of June 2021.The ‘contents’ sheet contains an overview of all available data on detention.

Road Traffic Offences

Stuart Anderson: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what guidance her Department has issued to local authorities on tackling (a) speeding and (b) other traffic issues.

Kit Malthouse: The Home Office is responsible for policy on enforcement of road traffic legislation and for ensuring the availability of appropriate enforcement powers to the police. We do not issue guidance to local authorities on speeding and other road traffic issues.However, the Home Office has contributed to guidance published by the Department for Transport in 2007 on the deployment, visibility and signing of speed cameras which can be found at https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/use-of-speed-and-red-light-cameras-for-traffic-enforcement-guidance-on-deployment-visibility-and-signing.The Department for Transport also issues guidance on speed limits to local traffic authorities, to ensure limits are appropriately and consistently set whilst allowing for flexibility to deal with local circumstances.

Supermarkets: Slavery

Mark Pritchard: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to ensure supermarket supply chains do not support modern slavery through third party suppliers.

Rachel Maclean: Section 54 of the Modern Slavery Act 2015 requires businesses, including supermarkets, with a turnover of £36m or more to report annually on the steps they have taken to prevent modern slavery in their operations and supply chains.The prevalence of modern slavery and complexity of global supply chains means that it is highly unlikely that any sector or company is immune from the risks of modern slavery. The Home Office’s statutory guidance on producing modern slavery statements suggests that statements should include the risk assessment and due diligence organisations undertook to prevent and tackle modern slavery. The Government encourages companies to report transparently about how they are identifying and mitigating modern slavery risks in their operations and supply chains, and to use their modern slavery statements to demonstrate year on year progress.To enhance the impact of transparency and accelerate action to prevent modern slavery, the Government announced an ambitious package of changes to strengthen the reporting requirements on businesses and has committed to introduce financial penalties for those that fail to meet their obligations to publish statements under section 54. To further enhance transparency, in March 2021, the Government launched a digital registry for modern slavery statements to make statements available in one place. The registry will make it easier for investors, consumers and civil society to scrutinise the action being taken by different organisations and monitor progress.The Government is currently reviewing its Modern Slavery Strategy and will consider whether there are further opportunities to enhance our approach to transparency in supply chains.

Asylum: Afghanistan

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what priority is being given to Afghan asylum claims that have already been made by people in the UK where a decision is pending.

Kevin Foster: The Home Office are pursuing a programme of transformation and business improvement initiatives that will speed up decision making, reduce the time people spend in the system and reduce the numbers who are awaiting an interview or decision. This includes almost doubling decision makers number to c.1,000 by March 2022 and providing improved training and career progression opportunities to aid retention of staff.We are continuing to develop existing and new technology to help build on recent improvements such as digital interviewing and move away from a paper-based system. We have three key areas of focus in the short to medium term to reduce the number of outstanding asylum cases by improving efficiency and productivity, reducing the number of outstanding claims and building high performing teams. We are streamlining and digitalising the case working process to enable more effective workflow, appointment booking and decision-making.All asylum claims are considered on a case by case basis and in line with published policy. Claims by Afghan nationals will be considered in the same way as claims from any other nationality.We do not believe it is appropriate to prioritise claims from one nationality over another as many claimants, irrespective of nationality, are potentially vulnerable and no one is expected to leave the UK while they have a claim outstanding.

Asylum: Afghanistan

Afzal Khan: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps her Department is taking to ensure that the backlog of asylum claims is not affected by the change in situation in Afghanistan.

Kevin Foster: The Home Office are pursuing a programme of transformation and business improvement initiatives that will speed up decision making, reduce the time people spend in the system and reduce the numbers who are awaiting an interview or decision. This includes almost doubling decision makers number to c.1,000 by March 2022 and providing improved training and career progression opportunities to aid retention of staff.We are continuing to develop existing and new technology to help build on recent improvements such as digital interviewing and move away from a paper-based system. We have three key areas of focus in the short to medium term to reduce the number of outstanding asylum cases by improving efficiency and productivity, reducing the number of outstanding claims and building high performing teams. We are streamlining and digitalising the case working process to enable more effective workflow, appointment booking and decision-making.All asylum claims are considered on a case by case basis and in line with published policy. Claims by Afghan nationals will be considered in the same way as claims from any other nationality.We do not believe it is appropriate to prioritise claims from one nationality over another as many claimants, irrespective of nationality, are potentially vulnerable and no one is expected to leave the UK while they have a claim outstanding.

Migrant Workers: Food

Carolyn Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs on the potential merits of introducing a visa scheme for food and drink workers to support covid-19 economic recovery.

Carolyn Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what steps she is taking to increase access to labour to support the UK food and drink distribution sector.

Carolyn Harris: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, if she will meet with representatives of the food and drink sector to discuss how labour shortages in that sector can be tackled through her Department's policies.

Kevin Foster: Home Office Ministers and officials meet with a broad range of stakeholders including various sectors and other Government departments. The Government position remains we will not be introducing a short-term visa route such as the ‘Covid recovery visa’ as has been suggested. Most of the solutions are likely to be driven by industry, with a big push towards improving pay, conditions and diversity needed.The Points Based System does provide for occupations within the agri-food sector, including butchers, a range of poultry roles, and fishmongers, subject to the requirements of the system – including English language and salary – being met.Beyond the Points Based System, there is the existing UK labour market, which includes those who come to the UK through our Youth Mobility Schemes (which we are looking to expand), our new British National (Overseas) visa for those from Hong Kong, dependants of those arriving under the expanded skilled worker route, as well as over 6 million applications under the EU Settlement Scheme and those who arrive through family routes, who all have access to the UK labour market.As a transitional measure, to help farm businesses adjust to changes to the UK labour market, the Seasonal Workers Pilot was extended into this year with 30,000 visas available. Decisions on the future of the pilot will be taken in due course, following evaluation of the scheme.

Youth Mobility Scheme: EU Countries

Rachael Maskell: To ask the Secretary of State for the Home Department, what discussions she has had with the Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy on the potential merits of extending the Youth Mobility Visa to the EU to help tackle skills shortages.

Kevin Foster: The Home Office and the Department for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy are in regular contact regarding a wide array of issues, including the skills shortages in the UK.Our Youth Mobility Scheme (YMS) agreements provide a valuable route for mutual cultural exchange and are not simply a one-way route for recruiting labour from overseas. We will therefore not add nations to the YMS route unilaterally.We are open to negotiating YMS arrangements with other countries and territories, including the EU or nations within it. However, as each YMS is subject to a bilateral, reciprocal agreement which also provides benefit to UK Nationals, with the detail negotiated and agreed between the relevant parties, we are unable to disclose the status of ongoing negotiations with partner countries as they occur.Further details of additional YMS agreements will be announced once they are concluded.

Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities

Local Government Finance: Universal Credit

Owen Thompson: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what impact assessment has been undertaken of the potential effect of the end of the £20 universal credit standard allowance uplift on local government budgets throughout the country.

Kemi Badenoch: Since the start of the pandemic, the Government’s priority has been to protect lives and people’s livelihoods. This includes continually supporting individuals and businesses.The Chancellor announced a temporary six-month extension to the £20 per week uplift at the Budget on 3 March to support households affected by the economic shock of Covid-19.Universal Credit has provided a vital safety net for six million people during the pandemic, and the temporary uplift was part of a Covid support package worth a total of £407 billion in 2020-21 and 2021-22.There have been significant positive developments in the public health situation since the uplift was first introduced with the success of the vaccine rollout. Now the economy is reopening and as we continue to progress with our recovery our focus is on helping people back into work.Any extension to the uplift or further Covid support is a matter for HMT.

Sheltered Housing: Standards

Rosie Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what steps his Department is taking with the Department for Health and Social Care to improve housing-with-care provision for older people.

Christopher Pincher: Offering vulnerable people a better choice of accommodation to suit their changing needs can help them live independently and feel more connected to their communities. This Government is committed to the provision of suitable homes for older people, including extra care housing, which contributes to levelling up across communities. Housing-with-care allows individuals to choose where they want to live, with whom, how they can best be supported, and what happens in their home. Both the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities and the Department of Health and Social Care provide capital funding to incentivise their supply. Our planning rules already mean councils must consider the needs of older people when planning for new homes. In 2019, we published guidance to help councils implement the National Planning Policy Framework policies.     We are investing over £12 billion in affordable housing over 5 years, the largest investment in affordable housing in a decade. This includes the new £11.5 billion Affordable Homes Programme, where 10 per cent of delivery over the course of the programme will be used to increase the supply of much needed specialist or supported housing, including retirement housing. The Department of Health and Social Care are also continuing to subsidise new supply of specialist housing for older and disabled people through the Care and Support Specialised Housing (CASSH) Fund.   The Government's plan for health and social care, announced on Tuesday 7 September, also recognised the important role of housing, and supported housing in particular, in providing care and support to people in the community.   We continue to work closely with the older people's housing sector and across Government to look at how we can further support its growth. I look forward to engaging with representatives in the sector further and value their insight.

Coal: Cumbria

Thangam Debbonaire: To ask the Secretary of State for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, what assessment he plans to make of the environmental impact of the proposed Whitehaven Coal Mine in Cumbria, in response to the publication of the Sixth Assessment Report of the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change.

Christopher Pincher: In March of this year, the then Secretary of State called in the planning application for the proposed Whitehaven Coal Mine. A public inquiry is currently sitting, overseen by an independent planning Inspector. That inquiry will consider all relevant planning considerations, including the environmental effect of the proposal. Following the close of the inquiry, a report and recommendation will be prepared for Ministers to consider.

Cabinet Office

Procurement

Seema Malhotra: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what recent steps his Department has taken to help tackle supply chain issues in the UK; and if he will make a statement.

Kerry McCarthy: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, which Minister will be leading the work of the National Economic Recovery Taskforce (Logistics) to tackle supply chain shortages following the recent Government reshuffle.

Michael Ellis: Government Ministers responsible for the supply chain ecosystem are working collectively, and in close partnership with industry, to drive the development and delivery of plans to strengthen supply chain resilience, supporting economic recovery and levelling up.

Public Services: Artificial Intelligence

Richard Fuller: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what targets he is setting for the adoption of artificial intelligence to improve the quality and efficiency of public services.

Michael Ellis: The Government does not set targets for the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI). However, the Government has set up several avenues to make sure we are making the most of AI, such as the independent AI Council. Departments are also required to follow the Technology Code of Practice which includes guidance on the use of emerging technology. Emerging technology should only be used where it meets the users’ needs, and this includes the use of AI. The Government continues to work with departments to establish what other efficiencies can be realised while also meeting the needs of citizens.

Cabinet Office: Listed Buildings

Tim Loughton: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 10 September 2021 to Question 43371 on Cabinet Office: Listed Buildings, if he will publish a list of the (a) properties classified as heritage assets owned by his Department, (b) the most recent estimate of the value of those properties and (c) the annual income derived from those properties as opposed to the details of the body responsible for advising him on those properties' management.

Michael Ellis: I refer the hon. Member to the answers given to PQ 43369 on 9 September 2021, and PQ 43371 on 10 September 2021.

Government Departments: Procurement

Liz Saville Roberts: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what the value was of Government procurement from UK businesses registered in each NUTS 1 nation and region in 2019.

Michael Ellis: This information is not held centrally.

Disease Control

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 26 August 2021 to Question 16063 on Disease Control, if he will make it his policy to gather the details of all pandemic exercises held across Government departments from 2010 onwards; if he will set out the relevance of each exercise to the covid-19 pandemic; and if he will make a statement.

Caroline Lucas: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, pursuant to the Answer of 26 August 2021 to Question 16063 on Disease Control, which Cabinet Ministers were actively involved in Exercise Nimbus.

Michael Ellis: In addition to the information provided in the response to PQ 16063, the following cross-government exercises have been conducted since 2010 in relation to pandemic preparedness and response: April 2021: an official-level exercise to test contingency plans for the risk of an emergence of a significant variant of COVID-19.May 2021: a Ministerial-level exercise to rehearse the response to the outbreak of a significant variant of COVID-19.August 2021: a series of official-level wargames to test cross-government COVID-19 arrangements for the Autumn / Winter period. As explained in the response to PQ 16063, the Government does not publicly comment in detail on pandemic preparedness exercises. This includes exercises that test plans for ongoing emergencies, including COVID-19. This is to allow Ministers, officials and emergency planners to develop policies and plans while ensuring that the full, candid and proper deliberation of lessons learned is not influenced or impacted by the possibility of public exposure.

Trade: Northern Ireland

Gareth Thomas: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate he has made of the level of staffing required to implement the commitments within the Northern Ireland Protocol on checks between Great Britain and Northern Ireland and checks on goods coming to the UK from the EU under the Trade and Cooperation Agreement; whether those staffing levels have been met; and what additional funding has been allocated to support those staffing requirements.

Michael Ellis: On staffing, I refer the Hon. Member to the answer given to PQ31420 on 27 July 2021.As announced on 14 September, full customs declarations and checks on goods coming to the UK from the EU under the Trade and Cooperation Agreement will be introduced as planned on 1 January 2022, although safety and security declarations will not be required until 1 July 2022. The Northern Ireland Protocol is still under review and therefore providing an accurate estimate of the level of staffing would not be substantive.

UK Internal Trade: Northern Ireland

Angela Rayner: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what estimate his Department has made of the (a) number of additional civil servants required to administer the requirements of the Northern Ireland Protocol relating to the flow of goods between Northern Ireland and Great Britain and (b) cost of recruiting additional civil servants for that purpose.

Michael Ellis: Border Force has recruited fifty full-time equivalents for the purpose of implementing the Northern Ireland Protocol at a total cost of approximately £1.4m.Other Departments have recruited small numbers of additional staff but have generally managed the requirements of the Protocol through reprioritization.

Cabinet Office: Topham Guerin

John McDonnell: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what payments on contracts the Department made to Topham Guerin in August 2021; what payments are scheduled to made to that company in September 2021; and what were the nature of those contracts.

Michael Ellis: The Cabinet Office publishes details of all contracts over £10,000 on Contracts Finder and spend over £500, including on public information campaigns, on gov.uk on a rolling basis. This will include expenditure on this campaign and will be broken down by supplier.This contract was modified in accordance with Regulation 72.1.(c) and 72.1.(b) of the Public Contract Regulations. Further detail is available in the Tenders Electronic Daily supplement to the Official Journal of the EU.

Disability: Coronavirus

Mr Mark Harper: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what assessment his Department has made of the effectiveness of the Government’s covid-19 communications and in particular for disabled people.

Mr Mark Harper: To ask the Chancellor of the Duchy of Lancaster and Minister for the Cabinet Office, what steps his Department has taken to consult with local level self-advocacy groups on (a) covid-19 communication and (b) government guidance relating to covid-19.

Michael Ellis: The Government constantly monitors public awareness of its communication campaigns. We use regular evaluations to maximise the impact of our campaigns across the UK.We are committed to supporting individuals with disabilities through every stage of this pandemic. Progress in this area means that COVID-19 guidance is available across multiple channels in a range of alternative formats. Many of our most crucial content assets come in alternative accessibility formats including Easy Read, large text formats, videos with British Sign Language interpretation, and audio. Important health communications, also, regarding COVID-19 symptoms, Stay Alert and NHS Test and Trace content, are available in alternative formats, including Easy Read, British Sign Language and Audio. COVID-19 statements and speeches from the Prime Minister are now also made available in transcript form on GOV.UK, aligning with accessibility standards.We continuously engage with disability charities using polling and focus groups with hard-to-reach audiences to better understand how our communications are received and how this affects COVID-safe behaviours. We use these insights to improve government messaging, mitigate anxieties and challenge misinformation.Examples of new guidance are discussed in regular sessions with disability charities and experts in accessibility; this provides an opportunity for these groups to review and make recommendations on how to better government communications. We will continue to work with these organisations to ensure COVID-19 communications are as accessible as possible.

Department for International Trade

Ceramics: Exports

Jonathan Gullis: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, what steps her Department has taken to help increase global export opportunities for British ceramics.

Mike Freer: The British ceramics industry is world-renowned and can access new markets more easily through our future Free Trade Agreements. For example, in June, we reached Agreement in Principle with Australia. This fundamentally liberalising agreement removes tariffs on all UK exports, including ceramics. Alongside our trade deals, we provide a range of exporting support to help businesses grow internationally, including trade advisers locally and overseas; financial exporting support from UK Export Finance’s specialists; access to the UK Export Academy and the Digital Exporting Programme. This includes access to one-to-one guidance on digital sales and marketing. Businesses interested in more information on export opportunities for British ceramics can visit https://www.gov.uk/ask-export-support-team.

Trade Agreements: Australia

Adam Holloway: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, when she plans to publish the impact assessments of the UK-Australia Free Trade Agreement in Principle.

Penny Mordaunt: A full impact assessment will be published following the conclusion of negotiations, prior to scrutiny by Parliament.

Department for International Trade: Written Questions

Emily Thornberry: To ask the Secretary of State for International Trade, when she plans to respond to Question 44264 on the Comprehensive and Progressive Agreement for Trans-Pacific Partnership: Pitcairn Islands, tabled on 7 September 2021 by the Rt. hon. Member for Islington South and Finsbury.

Penny Mordaunt: Question 44264 was answered on 22nd September.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Flags

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, how many and what proportion of Union Jack flags purchased by her Department in each of the last two years were manufactured in the UK.

Chris Philp: All of the 67 Union Flags purchased by the Department in the last two years have been manufactured in the UK.

Department for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport: Flags

Justin Madders: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, which companies have supplied Union Jack flags to his Department since 2019.

Chris Philp: Since 2019 all of the Union flags that have been supplied to the Department have been provided by The Flag Consultancy, a subcontractor of Arcadis, who are contracted to deliver flags and flag services under the current Event Management Services Contract.

Sports: Disability

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the Prime Minister's speech at the National Lottery Paralympics GB Homecoming event on 12 September 2021, what the source is of the extra funding for disability sports.

Vicky Foxcroft: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, with reference to the Prime Minister's speech at the National Lottery Paralympics GB Homecoming event on 12 September 2021, how the additional funding for disability sports will be allocated.

Nigel Huddleston: On 15th August, the Government publicly committed to providing £232 million to support Team GB and ParalympicsGB athletes preparations for the Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games. The £232 million Grant In Aid funding will be invested into aspiring Team GB and ParalympicsGB athletes as well as their coaches and support staff, in addition to funding from the National Lottery. UK Sport, the strategic lead body for high performance sport in the UK, will be responsible for allocating the funding to athletes for the Paris cycle. Athletes will benefit through their World Class Programme and Progression Funding, which will provide vital support towards reaching the pinnacle of their sports as preparations begin for Paris 2024 Olympic and Paralympic Games.

Tourism: Finance

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what financial support will be made available to the tourism industry after the end of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.

Catherine West: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she plans to take to protect jobs in the travel industry after the end of the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme.

Nigel Huddleston: The Government has provided over £35 billion in support to the tourism, leisure and hospitality sectors over the course of the pandemic in the form of grants, loans and tax breaks. For example, the Government cut VAT for tourism and hospitality activities to 5% last July, with this significantly reduced rate remaining until the end of this month. To help businesses manage the transition back to the standard rate, a 12.5% rate will then apply for a further six months. We are committed to supporting tourism’s return to pre-pandemic levels ahead of independent forecasts, as set out in the Government's Tourism Recovery Plan published in June. The Government is regularly engaging with stakeholders, including via the Tourism Industry Council, to monitor the pandemic’s impact and to support the sector’s recovery.

Children: Protection

Carla Lockhart: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps she is taking to strengthen child protection measures in the draft Online Safety Bill.

Chris Philp: The strongest protections in the draft Online Safety Bill are for children. Services in scope will need to prove children are not accessing their service, or they will need to conduct a child safety risk assessment and provide safety measures for child users. Those safety measures will protect children from inappropriate and harmful content.

Social Media: Safety

Daisy Cooper: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what discussions he has had with (a) YouTube and (b) other social media companies about whether their harmful or dangerous content policies should be extended to cover content including (i) breaking and entering and (ii) vandalism to personal property.

Chris Philp: Ministers and officials have regular meetings and discussions with a wide range of stakeholders, including YouTube, on a variety of issues, including dangerous content. Details of Ministerial meetings are published quarterly on the GOV.UK website.The draft Online Safety Bill sets out proposals to impose a new duty of care on tech companies to tackle illegal and harmful content on their services. Companies such as Youtube will have to identify and remove illegal content and protect children from harmful or inappropriate content. The big social media companies, such as YouTube, will also need to keep their promises to users by taking action against harmful content that is prohibited under their terms of service. Under the new laws, their terms of service will need to cover content that could cause significant physical or psychological harm to users.

Social Media: Disinformation

Dawn Butler: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps the Government is taking to prevent companies and organisations using automated social media accounts to (a) increase follower numbers on social media platforms and (b) spread disinformation online.

Dawn Butler: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps the Government is taking to work with social media companies to eliminate automated fake profiles on social media platforms.

Chris Philp: The government continues to put pressure on companies to respond quickly and effectively to the threat posed by misinformation and disinformation. Ministers and officials hold regular discussions with major social media companies to understand what is happening on their platforms and the steps that they are taking to address misinformation and disinformation, including where it is spread by fake accounts. We have seen positive steps by platforms to curtail the spread of harmful and misleading narratives, particularly in relation to COVID-19, although there is clearly more to do. We will continue to engage platforms regarding measures that could be put in place to respond to this evolving challenge, and we will put pressure on these companies to ensure that their policies and enforcement are fit for purpose, whilst still respecting freedom of expression. The draft Online Safety Bill sets out proposals to impose a new duty of care on tech companies to tackle illegal and harmful content on their services. To fulfil their duty of care, the largest social media companies will need to set out what harmful content is and is not acceptable in their terms of service. They will need to enforce these terms of service consistently, including policies that may relate to fake user accounts. Ofcom will have the power to hold companies to account if what is appearing on their platforms doesn’t match up with the promises made to users.

Artificial Intelligence: Zero Hours Contracts

Kirsten Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department is taking to assess a potential correlation between company procurement of artificial intelligence platforms and the level of transition to zero-hours contracts.

Kirsten Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, if her Department will ensure that the impact of artificial intelligence on workers is taken into account as part of the Government's AI Strategy.

Kirsten Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what steps her Department plans to take to ensure that the equalities impacts of artificial intelligence will be taken into account in the development of the Government's AI Strategy.

Kirsten Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what assessment her Department has made of how productivity gains from artificial intelligence can be shared with workers.

Kirsten Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, what definition of equality will be used in the Government's AI Strategy; and what consultation has taken place with equalities groups in the development of that strategy.

Kirsten Oswald: To ask the Secretary of State for Digital, Culture, Media and Sport, when the Government plans to publish a draft AI Strategy.

Chris Philp: The Government published its National AI Strategy on 22nd September 2021. It can be viewed here https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/national-ai-strategy . The Strategy will ensure that the UK continues our global leadership in the research, development, commercialisation and adoption of responsible AI. The Strategy sets out our ambition to drive prosperity across the UK and ensure everyone can benefit from AI. In particular, the Strategy recognises that issues such as the equalities impacts of AI will be an important consideration as we continue to develop policy on the governance and regulation of AI. We will involve relevant regulators and equalities groups in this work. It also recognises the need to give more people the skills to work with AI, developing an AI-literate workforce. The diversity of people working with and developing AI is an important component of the AI Strategy. We are already supporting 2,500 new Masters conversion courses in AI and data science across universities in England. Included in this program are up to 1,000 scholarships, which aims to increase the number of people from underrepresented groups and encourage graduates from diverse backgrounds to consider a future in AI and Data Science.

COP26

UN Climate Conference 2021: Ethnic Groups

Ruth Jones: To ask the President of COP26, how many Black and minority ethnic people are part of the UK's COP26 negotiating team.

Alok Sharma: We have recently appointed a Diversity and Inclusion lead in the Campaigns and Engagement Team to lead on inclusivity and diversity for a successful and fully inclusive COP.For additional wider information, the Government publishes statistics on Civil Service demographics annually on March 31st via the Office for National Statistics. This can be found on the GOV.UK website at https://www.gov.uk/government/statistics/civil-service-statistics-2021.

Climate Change: Finance

Abena Oppong-Asare: To ask the President of COP26, what progress has been made towards the $100 billion climate finance commitment.

Alok Sharma: The UK continues to encourage developed countries to increase their climate finance commitments for mitigation and adaptation in developing countries through the UK's G7 and COP26 Presidencies. At the COP President Designate’s request, Germany and Canada are leading the development of a $100 billion Delivery Plan. This will demonstrate, in advance of COP26, how developed countries will mobilise $100 billion a year through to 2025. President Biden has made a major step towards achieving the $100 billion goal, announcing recently at the UN General Assembly that the US is doubling their climate finance to $11.4 billion in 2024.